The Changing World Of Latin Jazz

Trumpet - When many people think of Latin Jazz, a salsa dance party comes to mind, with hot dance rhythms charging behind jazz harmonies and improvised solos. This is really one aspect of this style - musicians like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Cal Tjader, and Ray Barretto have gotten people about the dance floor for years with jazz and Cuban rhythms.

Dance rhythms certainly hold a place in modern Latin Jazz, however a growing quantity of artists have abandoned the dance floor for various cultural and artistic influences. Today, many Latin Jazz musicians integrate rhythmic traditions from the broader spectrum from the Caribbean and South usa, often blending cultural elements with modern jazz influences.

Trumpet - Traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms have played a large part within the growth of Latin Jazz, bringing rhythmic styles just like the festejo and landó into the style as well a more guitar heavy approach. Guitarist Richie Zellon has combined these traditions with jazz harmonies extensively while trumpet player Gabriel Alegria is promoting an exceptional approach with his Afro-Peruvian Sextet.

While stateside Latin Jazz always carried a Puerto Rican influence, it has only been recently that artists have put a distinct emphasis upon the idea of traditional rhythms like bomba and plena supporting jazz contexts. Trombonist Papo Vazquez provides his ferocious command of bebop over Puerto Rican rhythms while saxophonist Miguel Zenón has dived deep into plena and classic Puerto Rican songs like a foundation for jazz.

Argentina has always been noted for it's passionate tango, and many musicians have found this music is really a natural fit for jazz. Bassist Pablo Aslan has produced a definite language for improvising around tango structures while pianist Pablo Ziegler continues the task of influential composer Astor Piazzolla using a distinct jazz twist.

Listeners often take into account the lush bossa novas of Antonio Carlos Jobim once they look at the blend of Brazilian rhythms and jazz, nevertheless the style has grown into something far more dynamic. Pianist Jovino Santos Neto has built upon his long tenure with composer Hermeto Pascoal and developed a highly creative repertoire of original Brazilian jazz while drummer Duduka Da Fonseca has blended the freedom behind a New York jazz sensibility with dynamic samba rhythms.

Grammy awards - The dance floor is certainly still an integral part of Latin Jazz - just hear the music activity of Poncho Sanchez or Pete Escovedo for a healthy dose of danceable jazz. The design has certainly expanded artistically, reflecting a more encompassing spectrum of Latin traditions and giving listeners a far more diverse experience.